


Magic Lessons

by Izzycle



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-29
Updated: 2020-03-29
Packaged: 2021-02-28 16:26:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23380168
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Izzycle/pseuds/Izzycle
Summary: Every Thursday, Dion visits Asra for magic lessons
Relationships: Apprentice/Asra (The Arcana)
Kudos: 3





	Magic Lessons

Asra is filled with joy, it naturally radiates from him in waves which come to embrace all of those around.  
Even Dion - quiet, studious, in his own world - found himself being impacted by this aura. His shyness may not be affected, for he could never shake that blush that spreads over his cheeks at just the _thought_ of Asra, but he felt a bubble build in him - a type of happiness he had never encountered before, a freeness he could never quite grasp.  
He had left his village in search of such happiness - a place where he could be unapologetically himself, have no limitations to what he could do, how he could act - and he would never have expected to find such a place in a person instead. Vesuvia - could have been a possibility, the forest outside the city - a much stronger one. But even the friendly people in the market, the calming atmosphere of the trees and ground underfoot - none of it compares to the way he feels when Asra smiles directly at him.  
If you had only met Dion when he is around Asra, you would not believe that his usual nature is not shy, and that he is in fact, filled with snappy comebacks for any situation, and knowledge in a variety of subjects.  
No, he instead embodies the typical school-boy crush, face burning at the smallest of shared glances, hands shaking in a way that they never had done before - one anxious stereotype after another, and everyone can notice these, except from Asra. Even his snake familiar could tell - not that her master would listen, as he always shrugs this off as her teasing him.

Dion had been preparing tea while Asra set up a table - he always offers to do so, and is always thanked greatly. This need was due to past experiences with kettles, however, Dion is not lucky enough to have his curiosity sated - as Asra expands no further than that.  
This meant, as he is about to enter the front room he could hear one of these conversations about his crush. Only Asra could hear what Faust may be saying, but he could hear Asra muttering back, about how Dion _of course_ doesn’t have a crush on him.  
He is glad that Asra had no belief in this, it would be mortifying if he had noticed the - seemingly obvious - signs that Dion is interested. After all, they were nothing more than friends, with no signals of anything else since they had met at the market.  
Purposefully shuffling the already balanced cups in his hand, Dion is able to announce that he is about to enter the room, not wanting to risk being caught listening in to the conversation.  
“Do you need help?” Asra asks, although he is already standing to do so.  
“Oh, no, I’m...”  
Asra’s hand grazes against Dion’s arm, and he finds himself unable to finish the sentence. Long fingers leaving a trail of tingles where they touch as he reaches over - something so simple is enough to make Dion’s tongue feel too uncomfortable in his mouth to be able to form a sentence.  
“Here, I’ll take this...” Asra lifts the teapot from one of his hands, his own having a gracefulness to them that surely must be helpful in his magic.  
They sat at the usual table that they spend these days, one next to the window which overlooks the back of the street, with each chair filled with more pillows than Dion has ever owned.  
It is Thursday, the usual day that they met at Asra’s shop - a small routine which had been happening for the last month since they had reconnected, when Dion had blurted out the first thing which came to mind, the first excuse to spend more time with Asra:  
“I’ve... I’ve always been interested in um... in magic, if you ever have some free time...?”  
He’d never been interested in magic, never even given a thought to it. It isn’t a topic written about in the family library, and so Dion had no experience with it - there certainly wasn’t any being practiced in his village as he grew up. However, this is the only way he could think of spending time with Asra, at least without embarrassing himself by admitting that he just wanted to spend time together. The magician had, after all, been showing off to Dion that night they met, using tricks of light to impress him or make him laugh.  
Dion had not learnt much magic during these visits, with them mainly being filled with Dion making tea, and small conversation, even the occasional touch of his arm... his face is still burning even now that they were settled in their chairs. He didn’t have a talent for it, this he is sure, but he isn’t exactly trying either, too focused on the company.  
Asra starts to pour out the tea, causing Faust to slither out from under the table to taste the jasmine in the air, before lazily retreating to her blankets piled in a shelf cubby.  
“I’m not the best teacher, huh?”  
“Huh?” Dion’s head snaps back forward, as he was watching Faust settle down rather than paying attention.  
“You wanted to learn magic, and yet this is the fifth week and... nothing.”  
Dion fiddles with his cup, a new nervous habit he has started to use as an excuse not to meet the violet eyes he can feel on his face, “I just... I don’t think I have a talent for it... but - but I enjoy the um... company anyway...”  
After mumbling this last part out, he attempts to hide behind a sip of his tea, which he had forgotten will still be too hot to drink, and he embarrassingly splutters, trying to get past the sudden pain.  
“It has been nice, catching up? Getting to know each other? Whichever one of those this is...”  
Dion regrets looking up at that moment, being hit full force by Asra’s small smile, with eyes which seem to always be twinkling in some magical lighting, hair falling messily over his face.  
Heart skipping a beat, somehow all of Dion’s blood still seems to be pumped directly to his face, “Yes, it -“  
“I know!” Asra jumps up excitedly, before stumbling over a small bit of a blanket which is draped over his chair.  
“You...”  
Asra is now behind Dion, hands wrapped around his. They were so soft, yet firm around him, sending tingles up his arms, all while Asra’s breath tickles across his neck.  
“W-wha-“ he tries to make out, but Asra just chuckles, allowing more air to brush over his neck, more tingles to make their way down his spine.  
“I’m going to try channeling my magic through you, see if the feel of it can help you call it yourself.”  
The tingle that was caused by Asra’s touch and breath is now replaced with something similar. Starting with his hands it spread through his body, down his spine, brushing coolness in its path, something so different to the embarrassed heat he was feeling before. A feeling almost like a light stream of water is making its way up from their joint hands, and down his legs.  
“See! Now you try on your own!”  
“I - huh?”  
Dion had zoned out, too focused on the fact that Asra is so close, touching him, and the way it felt, that he hadn’t paid any attention to what it is that Asra is trying to show him.  
“Don’t worry, you can do it. I felt magic there, it responded to me really easily - I bet it just needed a little tug!”  
He is sure that his sweating and shaking hands were noticeable, that there is no way Asra would be unable to see the effect on him - however, it seems as if he thinks that this is just Dion nervous over trying to recreate the magic on his own.  
Clearing his throat, Dion tries to make words get past the thickness of his tongue, “Could you, um... show me again?” He mumbles, Asra chuckling before wrapping his hands around Dion’s once again.  
“Here... have more confidence in yourself...”  
Dion tries to concentrate, to notice what Asra is doing rather than what he is feeling, but his mind kept drifting. The feel of Asra’s lips almost ghosting against his neck as he leans over him, the warmth of his hands cupping Dion’s, the coolness of the magic contrasting with the heat of wherever they touched...  
Blinking, he tries to focus once again - it is hard to fight against it, but he manages to long enough to watch as spirals of cyan float into the air, swirling like smoke, mixing with that of the lavender incense burning in the room.  
Asra pulls away, squeezing his arm before kneeling by his side, “Now you try!”  
This time he felt more prepared, he didn’t know how to do it, but at least Dion knew what the end result is meant to be. He closes his eyes, picturing the swirls in the air around his fingers, tries to focus on any coolness in his body which may be similar to the wash of Asra’s magic. His eyes scrunch tighter, as the feeling of Asra’s breath comes to mind again, causing a sheen of sweat to spread from his chest, bringing with it a shiver - it is so hard to concentrate when that memory is so vivid in his mind. Yet he knew he could push it out - if he could get past the real thing he could do so now.  
“Dion...” it came as a soft whisper, it’s Asra’s voice, yet it sounds so distant, as if it isn’t coming from beside him.  
He slowly opens his eyes, in a similar way to a cat when they wake up, lazily looking out through a fog, before blinking a few more times to focus.  
The swirls were there, faint, not as active as when Asra was touching him, but they are there - he is doing it.  
They slowly drift up, before fading and mixing with the light smoke of incense, and finally disappearing. This is a sight Dion can only watch over in awe, so entranced that he is unprepared for the impact of Asra, all but leaping on to his knee in an effort to hug him tightly.  
Asra’s arms were wrapped over Dion’s shoulders, one knee on the edge of the chair seat and all but balancing in the air to squeeze against him.  
Surprisingly, Dion’s body doesn’t respond, instead he is sat in shock, his whole self overwhelmed from the touch of Asra, the warmth, the tingles, the chest pressed lightly against his cheek...  
It is only when Asra moves away that Dion is able to focus on reality a bit more, although this is only to turn to meet Asra’s gaze, as he grins, “You did it!”  
There is that aura, directed solely at Dion - _he_ is the cause of each wave brushing against his flushed cheeks. He can’t help but close his eyes for a moment, soaking in the feeling, before meeting Asra’s gaze again with a small smile.  
“I didn’t think I would be able to...” he whispers in disbelief.  
He wasn’t ever interested in magic, but he always has had a natural curiosity and a want to learn whatever he could, and the usual thrill - one which he hadn’t felt since running out of books in his library back home - swept over him at the accomplishment.  
“Of course you did! You’re amazing Dion!”  
“I -“  
Asra crushes against him again, and he moves a shaking hand to his back, holding him there. A faint smell of lapsang souchong washes over him and Dion can’t help but move his head a little closer, nestling against the crook of Asra’s neck.  
Too soon, Asra pulls away again, but not the full arm distance of before, and smiles, “I'm really proud of you...”  
Dion’s pulse leaps, and he’s sure that it could be felt through the hand by the crook of his elbow, or at least that the blush now growing would be embarrassingly obvious.  
“I-“ still he can’t say anything, doesn’t know what to say, he just knew that there is an awkward silence as they look into one another’s eyes, as his face gets hotter.  
“When you blush, your freckles pop out even more...” Asra whispers, thumb reaching forward to brush lightly against one side of his nose, before his hand lightly cups Dion’s face.  
He should say something, do something, instead of sitting like a fish, staring at Asra in shock, “I-“  
“You’re really struggling...” Asra gives a lopsided grin before lightly pinching Dion’s cheek, “you look so cute when you blush.”  
He didn’t even try and reply this time, not wanting to embarrass himself further, Asra’s teasing almost too much for him to handle. His hand ran softly along Dion’s jaw, eyes sweeping over him with a glint of mischief that made him shudder without meaning to. It is all too much - not only is Asra touching him, so softly, but he is making it painfully obvious that Dion is reacting to this teasing, in turn making him react even more.  
His heart is pounding, whole body in a small sheen of sweat as he tries to endure this, but it got too much and he attempts to look away, break this spell Asra seems to have over him.  
“Hey...” a slightly firmer hand turns Dion to look back at Asra, a softer smile, “I’m just playing, tell me to stop and I’ll _always_ stop.”  
He is grateful to hear that, and yet, Dion didn’t want this to stop. He is shaking with nerves, so hot he felt like he would explode, but he didn’t want it to stop, didn’t want Asra to stop touching him, looking at him. He only wants to stop if it meant he could lean forward and kiss him... _that’s_ what he really wants, to kiss him like they kissed that first night. Kiss him knowing that there could be more to come, kiss him like this wasn’t the first-and-last time they would meet, kiss him like he couldn’t do anything else...  
“Dion...?” Asra looks concerned, hand lightly brushing some of his hair from his forehead, “I’m sorry, I went too far...”  
Their eyes search each other, Asra’s worry clearly swimming in his own, and yet Dion still can’t say anything, can’t get his mind off of that night, can’t stop thinking about their kiss and how much he wants to do it again.  
This could have been a sign, they hadn’t touched so much before, he hadn’t been teased like this since they met again, could this mean Asra is still interested? If he leans forward, would Dion ruin any chance of them being, at the very least, friends?  
“Asra... I...” He swallows, but his tongue won’t cooperate, he can’t make anything out.  
So he leans forward, too fast, clumsy as his lips press against Asra’s. It is rough, and lasts a second before he pulls away just as quickly, eyes wide as if shocked at himself for acting. But he can’t move too far away, as Asra’s hands run through the back of his hair and pull him back, this time softer, their lips gliding against one another gently.  
Dion’s hands shake as he reaches forward to hold Asra’s cheek, and lean further in - all while forgetting his positioning on the edge of his chair until he feels himself begin to fall. He twists so he doesn’t land on Asra’s kneeling figure, bashing his hip on the floor.  
“Ow...” he mutters, sharing an embarrassed look towards Asra who lets out a laugh, eyes sparkling with joy, before he grabs Dion’s waist and pulls him practically on his knee.  
“You have to be careful falling for me...” he mutters, thumb sweeping across Dion’s freckles once again, before leaning to kiss the tip of his nose, “don’t want you to hurt your adorable self...”  
“I - um...”  
Asra kisses him softly, lingering enough that tingles spread across his face, “you don’t need to try and talk...”  
“Oh...” he breathes out, before reaching for Asra’s waist, “okay...” he leans forward and kisses him again, feeling like pushing his apparent wealth of luck while he could. Asra’s tongue runs across his top lip, causing him to gasp before gripping onto his white hair and kissing him deeper. Less clumsy and rough than the first kiss, but not as gentle as the second, they sigh against one another’s mouths until they were gasping for breath.  
Asra pauses, looking to the side in thought, and when Dion turns in curiosity, Faust is watching from underneath her coils.  
“Yes okay, you were right...” Asra sighs in fake annoyance, before turning back to Dion, hand running along his cheek, softly as if he couldn’t believe that it is really him.  
Blushing, Dion turns his head into the crook of Asra’s neck, burrowing there to soak in this feeling of calm and joy.  
“Oh...” Asra snorts, “we forgot about the tea...”  
Craning his neck up, Dion looks at the table beside him with a sheepish smile, “That’s a shame, I’m kind of... um... thirsty now...”  
Asra reaches down and holds Dion’s hand, kissing the knuckle before starting to stand up, leading him back to their seats, “It’s probably cold after we got so... distracted...” he grins over the table at Dion, clearly loving the way he blushes so easily in response, “luckily I have a spell to help with that...”  
Taking a deep breath, Dion attempts to lift this teasing mood, wanting to stop blushing so much, “A spell to stop getting so distracted? That sounds useful...”  
“Pahahaha!” Asra lets out a large laugh, eyes crinkling, “I would get a lot more done if I had a spell like that, plus I rather enjoy getting distracted with you...”  
He reaches over to take Dion’s cup, the intention to warm up the tea, and Dion wraps his hand over gently it gently, “if all magic lessons are like today, I’m looking forward to next week...”


End file.
